Judee Sill

Judee Sill
Birth nameJudith Lynne Sill
Born(1944-10-07)October 7, 1944
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 23, 1979(1979-11-23) (aged 35)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1960s–1970s
LabelsAsylum

Judith Lynne "Judee" Sill (October 7, 1944 – November 23, 1979) was an American folk rock singer-songwriter and musician. Her songs were inspired by Bach and Christian themes such as the rapture.

Career

Sill released her debut album in 1971. She later released Heart Food in 1973.

When she was alive, she did not find commercial success. When she died, no obituary was published. However after her death, several musicians said that Sill was an inspiration for them. These musicians include Andy Partridge, Liz Phair, Warren Zevon, Shawn Colvin, Steven Wilson, Robin Pecknold, Daniel Rossen, and Bill Callahan.

Sill was openly bisexual. Her romance with the singer-songwriter JD Souther inspired her song "Jesus Was a Cross Maker".

Death

Sill had a drug addiction through much of her life. She died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California on November 23, 1979 at the age of 35.

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Gavin (May 25, 2020). "10 Folk Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  2. ↑ Thompson, James F. (February 15, 2016). "Thomas Cohen is the ex-S.C.U.M. frontman who has nothing to hide – first interview". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 61. Gale. September 28, 2010. p. 1971. ISBN 9781414410265.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Grover (April 13, 1972). "Judee Sill: Soldier of the Heart". Rolling Stone. San Francisco, CA: Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hoskyns, Barney (December 12, 2004). "The Lost Child". The Observer. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Pak, Minju (23 January 2020). "Overlooked No More: Judee Sill, Singer Whose Life Was Cut Short". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Vooje, Popel (July 14, 2006). "Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | Unsung | Reviews | Judee Sill – Abracadabra: The Asylum Years". HeadHeritage.co.uk. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ Rachel, T. Cole (May 11, 2015). "The Tender Hand of J.D. Souther". Interview. New York: Brant Publications. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.

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